Courtesy of John Curtis
HAVEN Free Clinic, a Yale student-run clinic that provides medical care to the city’s underserved communities, has completed its move to the Yale Physicians Building, ending a nearly two-year transition period.
HAVEN had operated out of the Fair Haven Community Health Center’s Grand Avenue offices since the clinic was founded in 2005. But in 2015, restrictions imposed by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration compelled the clinic to search for a new home. With the help of Yale Medicine, the Yale School of Medicine’s clinical practice, HAVEN managed to secure a new space in the Yale Physicians Building, which is located approximately three miles away in the Hill neighborhood on Howard Avenue.
The clinic officially opened its new offices on March 4. According to HAVEN executive directors Hannah Alter MED ’18, Linda Chow SPH ’18, and Kaitlin Erickson NUR ’19, the transition proceeded without major complications. While the clinic’s patient base is primarily in the Fair Haven neighborhood, Alter noted that there hasn’t been a significant drop in patients. Most appointments scheduled for the month were made before the move, which helped ensure a smooth transition.
“We’ve been able to successfully map the clinic flow onto the new space, and everyone has been really excited about how well it’s working,” Alter said. “Both patients and volunteers have shared positive feedback, saying they enjoy the new space and its convenient downtown location.”
Similar to the Fair Haven offices, the new clinic is divided into departments, with each having dedicated facilities to see patients, Erickson explained. She added that the new location’s proximity to the medical campus has strengthened its connection to the Yale community.
One noticeable improvement is the larger exam rooms, Alter mentioned. Given that each appointment involves multiple people—clinical students, interpreters, and attending physicians—the expanded rooms better accommodate the clinical staff.
Before the move, the clinic took proactive steps to inform patients about the relocation and offered support to those who might be inconvenienced, according to Gabriel Betancur ’19, the clinic’s director of interpreting and diversity. After announcing the move last October, volunteers informed patients during weekly appointments, and some even found the new location more convenient.
Medical school professor Bradley Richards, one of HAVEN’s medical directors, acknowledged the logistical challenges of the move but praised the leadership team for ensuring a smooth transition. He credited the executive team for their efforts in publicizing the change and arranging transportation options like buses and street parking for patients.
Richards added, “Overall, the transition went extremely smoothly, especially considering we serve an underserved population with limited resources. A lot of credit goes to the team for making it work.”
The clinic worked with healthcare movers to streamline the move, and Betancur noted that they also secured grants to fund bus vouchers for patients in need of transportation. Buses now run from the Fair Haven neighborhood to the downtown area.
Additionally, Alter mentioned plans to pilot new patient transportation programs funded by a grant from the Gilead Foundation, which supports underserved communities. Richards hopes the relocation will bring more opportunities for involvement, particularly by integrating Yale New Haven Hospital residents into the clinic’s model. The clinic also plans to focus on its ongoing project, connecting undocumented immigrants with legal and resource support.
Chow emphasized that the clinic’s priorities include recruiting more volunteers and expanding HAVEN’s capacity to serve the community. In the months following the move, the clinic will continue gathering data to monitor changes in its patient population.
“As our patient numbers grow, so does our ability to engage more volunteers,” Alter said. “It’s exciting that HAVEN can expand both its missions: patient care and student education.”
Currently, the HAVEN clinic serves around 40 patients each week with a staff of 400 volunteers, including undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals.